Arsenal
Arteta renews call for bigger matchday squads after Arsenal victory
Arteta wants bigger Premier League squads, arguing Arsenal players deserve more matchday chances.
Mikel Arteta has again pressed the Premier League to allow larger matchday squads, arguing that more players should be given the chance to be involved on the day. His latest comments came after Arsenal’s comfortable 3-0 win, when he said the absence of some squad members was disappointing.
“It’s really sad not to have their availability,” Arteta said to TNT Sports. “I’ve been fighting with the Premier League to extend and accommodate more players in the squad because they deserve to be in the squad, there’s no question.
“Ethan [Nwaneri] and Marli [Salmon] as well, who has had the whole preseason with us. Hopefully we can change that rule so players can enjoy on the pitch and can be an option to play and contribute to the team going forward.”
It is not the first time Arteta has raised the issue. In January, he made a similar argument and pointed to the “mental health” of players who train throughout the build-up but miss out on a place in the matchday group. Even so, the complaint sits uneasily with the reality that the Arsenal manager is dealing with a problem of his own squad depth, one that few other clubs would be eager to solve in the same way.
Arteta was allowed to name 20 players for Sunday’s Community Shield, but the Premier League limit remains 18. He has pushed for two extra spots, ideally to move closer to the numbers used in UEFA competitions such as the Champions League, though he would prefer even more options.
“You’re not even allowed to travel with the team,” he said earlier this year. “So tell me another job that you do that. I cannot go to the kitchen tomorrow and say to two other chefs today you don’t cook, just go there and see how they cook or go home. It’s really tough.”
There was no such concern from Enzo Maresca, who was able to call on Jack Grealish, a player who has not featured for City since May 2025.
If the league were to widen squads from 18 to 20, clubs with the strongest depth would benefit most. Arsenal, however, would be among the biggest winners. Using estimated transfer values for outfield players, the next two players in Arsenal’s pecking order would be worth around $43.5 million combined, ahead of Manchester City and Chelsea, and far above Tottenham Hotspur and several others across the division.
That measure places Arsenal clear of the rest, while even Manchester United and Liverpool begin to run into thinner options by the time they reach the 19th and 20th names. It is one reason Arteta is so keen to keep making his case.
Arsenal
Five Premier League talking points as Gameweek 6 begins
Arsenal, Chelsea, United, Spurs, City and Liverpool face a pivotal Premier League weekend.
After an international break that was longer than most, the Premier League resumes with a slate of fixtures that should quickly restore the league to centre stage. Gameweek 6 brings heavyweight meetings, difficult home tests and plenty of pressure on sides already searching for rhythm.
Arsenal’s defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion before the break ended a remarkable run and raised the question of how they would react. Five months had passed since their previous league loss, but the 3-0 reverse on the south coast was a severe setback. Leeds United now arrive at the Emirates Stadium unbeaten and sitting fifth, only three points behind the Gunners, while history still strongly favours Arsenal, who have won their last eight meetings with Leeds in all competitions.
Chelsea also need a response after being beaten 3-0 by Brentford. That result was their third consecutive league match without a win and the third time they have conceded three goals in a game this season. Bournemouth’s visit offers little comfort, especially with Chelsea waiting on late checks for João Pedro, Cole Palmer, Moisés Caicedo and Reece James. Marco Rose’s side may be winless, but they have taken points from Chelsea in four of the last six meetings.
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur meet under clear pressure. United have managed only five points from a manageable run, with defeats to Hull City and 10-man Manchester City damaging the mood. Tottenham, meanwhile, sit bottom after two goalless draws and three defeats, and Roberto De Zerbi’s side arrive with their costly new arrivals yet to settle. The stakes are obvious for both clubs.
The weekend’s headline fixture comes at Liverpool, where Manchester City play for the first time since being found guilty of 114 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. After a three-year investigation, the verdict has inevitably shifted attention onto Enzo Maresca and his players, even if they had no part in the issue. City have won all five league games under Maresca, but this is a different test entirely.
Liverpool have every reason to make the occasion felt. They have twice been runners-up to City title teams since 2009 and remain one of the most persistent challengers of the last decade. With the atmosphere set to be intense, this could become one of the defining matches of the round.
Arsenal
Arsenal face selection reshuffle as injuries shape Leeds United return
Arsenal expect several changes for Leeds United, with Arteta managing injuries across defence and attack.
Mikel Arteta has had the international break to reflect on Arsenal’s heavy defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion, but the pause has not simplified his plans for the Premier League return. Leeds United visit Emirates Stadium on Saturday, and the champions are expected to make several changes because of fitness concerns across the squad.
The most significant absentee remains William Saliba, who is out for the long term with a back problem. Arsenal also lost Ben White to a groin issue during the win at Sunderland, though the right back is now expected to return after being seen in training images last week. Declan Rice, meanwhile, has been managed carefully after a demanding summer and recurring hamstring discomfort, and he should also be available for Leeds.
There is better news in defence through Cristhian Mosquera, who has recovered from the hamstring injury he suffered in August and could come back into the side. If Ezri Konsa is not ready after his dead leg, Mosquera may be the natural option to line up alongside Gabriel. Jurriën Timber is another factor at right back, although his minutes are being monitored after summer groin surgery.
Arsenal’s attack has taken the sharper hit. Kai Havertz and Christos Tzolis both picked up hamstring injuries while away with Germany and Greece, and both are expected to miss the next couple of weeks. That leaves Arteta with limited routes through the middle and on the left, where Eberechi Eze has not yet made a major impact. Noni Madueke could also be used there, while Viktor Gyökeres is the likeliest candidate to replace Havertz up front after scoring four in four for Sweden during the break.
Max Dowman is available despite a contact injury and a red card for England’s U-19s, while Bukayo Saka came through the break unscathed. With Rice and White expected back, Arteta can at least restore some structure, but the forward line remains the main concern heading into a difficult fixture.
Arsenal
Arteta’s new Arsenal deal puts him at the top of Premier League manager pay
Arteta’s Arsenal contract until 2030 is reportedly the Premier League’s biggest managerial pay rise.
Arsenal have handed Mikel Arteta a fresh contract through 2030, and reports suggest the new agreement has taken his salary to twice its previous level. That rise is believed to make him the best-paid manager in the Premier League.
Arteta explained what the club means to him after committing his future.
“This club is unique, its character and the way it makes you feel, and I have a great sense of privilege that our journey together will continue. We have already built a special bond and created memories that will last a lifetime, and what is so exciting is that this is only the beginning of what we can achieve together.”
According to The Times, he is now thought to earn more than £20 million ($26.4 million) each season across a deal that runs for the next four years. With Pep Guardiola no longer the Premier League’s highest earner, Arteta is understood to occupy a category of his own in the domestic game.
His earnings are also said to place him above some of the biggest names in world football. Only Atlético Madrid’s Diego Simeone and Paris Saint-Germain’s back-to-back Champions League winner Luis Enrique are mentioned as approaching those levels.
The second-highest paid manager in the Premier League is reported to be on the opposite side of north London. Tottenham Hotspur’s Roberto De Zerbi is said to earn £12 million ($15.9 million) per year, according to ESPN.
De Zerbi arrived at a difficult moment for Spurs last spring, with the club in serious trouble and fighting to avoid relegation. Since then, his influence has extended beyond the dugout, with the transfer window suggesting he has a major say in spending decisions as well as his own financial package.
For Arsenal, though, the message is clear. Arteta has been rewarded not only with security until 2030, but with a salary that now stands above every other manager in the Premier League.
